iOS 18: New Feature Review (feat. Varun Palaniappan)

In this episode, Krish and ⁠Varun⁠ discuss the new features of iOS 18, focusing on customization options for the home screen and lock screen, enhancements to the torch app, a revamped control center, improvements in the photos app, and new functionalities in the calculator and notes apps. They provide insights into how these features enhance user experience and reflect Apple’s ongoing commitment to innovation. In this conversation, Varun and Krish discuss the new features of iOS 18, focusing on embedded voice features, reminders and calendar integration, app privacy, widget customization, tap to cash, maps and custom routes, and enhancements in iMessage. They explore how these features improve user experience and productivity, while also addressing some limitations and bugs they encountered during their discussion.

Takeaways

• iOS 18 introduces significant home screen customization options.
• Lock screen customization allows for more personalized controls.
• The torch app now features adjustable brightness and focus.
• Control center has been revamped for better accessibility and customization.
• The photos app now includes advanced search capabilities using AI.
• Calculator app now supports math notes and conversion features.
• Notes app allows for collapsible categories and color customization.
• Customization features are aimed at enhancing user experience.
• Apple continues to innovate with software updates, enhancing older devices.
• User feedback is crucial for future updates and improvements. Embedded voice features enhance note-taking efficiency.
• Reminders now integrate seamlessly with the calendar app.
• Hiding apps adds a layer of privacy for users.
• Widget customization allows for a more personalized home screen.
• Tap to cash simplifies peer-to-peer payments.
• Custom routes in maps improve navigation for outdoor activities.
• iMessage now supports a wider range of reactions.
• Sending messages later can help manage communication better.
• The predictive text feature has improved significantly.
• Overall, iOS 18 offers subtle yet impactful enhancements.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to iOS 18 Features

03:05 Home Screen Customization

06:02 Lock Screen Customization

11:54 Torch App Enhancements

14:58 Control Center Overhaul

23:50 Photos App Revamp

33:02 Calculator and Math Notes Features

51:56 Notes App Improvements

55:07 Exploring Embedded Voice Features

58:43 Reminders and Calendar Integration

01:01:50 Hiding Apps for Privacy

01:04:23 Customizing Widgets and Home Screen

01:11:14 Tap to Cash: A New Way to Pay

01:15:30 Maps and Custom Routes

01:20:49 iMessage Enhancements and Reactions

Podcast

Check out the transcript here.

Summary

Home Screen Customization

• Krish: Highlights iOS 18’s homepage customization features, starting with being able to move icons around more freely. Varun points out how previously iPhones were very restricted compared to Android.
• Varun: Mentions the introduction of more flexible grid layouts, though still somewhat constrained compared to Android. He also notes the ability to change icon sizes and colors.
• Krish: Demonstrates moving icons on the screen and highlights issues when trying to place icons without shifting other apps. Varun suggests that starting from a clean slate might improve the experience.
• Varun: Adds that users can now arrange apps to leave space for the background image, something that wasn’t possible before, which helps show off personal photos.

Customization of Icon Size, Colors, and Styles

• Krish: Discusses adjusting icon size and styles, noting the convenience of enlarging icons for users who don’t need to see the app names frequently.
• Varun: Explains the dark and light modes, as well as a “tinted” style, which seems more aesthetic than practical, especially for younger users who enjoy customization. They touch on Apple’s color picker feature.
• Krish: Varun demonstrates the color picker feature, allowing users to match colors to their background. There’s also an option to adjust the opacity of icons.

Lock Screen Customization

• Krish: Moves to lock screen customization. Krish shows how to customize lock screen icons, swapping out the torch and camera for other options like the calculator or voice memo.
• Varun: Mentions the lock screen’s limited positions for icons, allowing only two options at once. Varun notes that the changes aren’t as significant as those to the home screen.

Torch App Improvements

• Krish: Demonstrates the updated torch app, where users can now adjust both brightness and focus. Apple made these changes through software updates, allowing older phones to benefit too.
• Varun: Notes that the torch app’s new features will only be available on phones with Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro and later).

Control Center Customization

• Krish: Begins exploring changes in the control center, which now supports multi-page layouts and more extensive customization of controls.
• Varun: Points out that users can now add multiple pages in the control center and customize which controls appear, a significant improvement over previous versions.
• Krish: Acknowledges the learning curve in setting up the control center effectively but appreciates the flexibility it offers. Users might benefit from published templates or guidance.

Photos App UI Changes

Varun explains the change from the previous tab-based design to a single-scroll UI, where photos are always at the top, followed by albums, collections, media types, and utilities. He mentions that this section can be customized.

Customization and Layout in Photos App

• Krish & Varun acknowledge that the new layout will be divisive, especially since the previous design had been in place for a long time. However, the ability to customize how albums, memories, and recent days are arranged is a welcome feature.

Search Functionality in Photos App

• Krish is particularly impressed with the search feature, which allows users to search for people, objects, or places in photos without needing metadata or tags. He demonstrates this by searching for Mukesh Ambani and other figures like Sundar Pichai, highlighting Apple’s AI-powered search.

Discussion on Apple’s AI Capabilities

• Krish mentions that while Apple’s AI (referred to as Apple Intelligence) isn’t fully released, the current AI-powered features embedded in the Photos app are already impressive. The conversation touches on how Apple differentiates its AI branding from general artificial intelligence.
• Krish searches for various entities, including famous figures and landmarks, emphasizing how Apple’s AI can recognize and retrieve these photos without metadata.

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